The car is confiscated. This will become totally prohibited in Romania

The car is confiscated. The measure present in the new Forestry Code

After several weeks of debates in committees, a final report on the new Forestry Code is expected soon. The bill could reach the full Senate for adoption, no later than Tuesday.

During the debates in the committees, most of the submitted amendments were accepted, among them the measure of confiscation of machines that transport large amounts of stolen wood. The Minister of the Environment, Mircea Fechet, emphasizes the need for tough measures to stop this alarming phenomenon.

“Let’s write in black and white in the law that if we catch you stealing, the car will be confiscated, and the only very harsh measure we have at hand is this confiscation”, declared Mircea Fechet.

Proposals regarding free access to forests for hiking and recreation, protecting Ilfov forests from commercial exploitation, and including outstanding trees in the National Forestry Fund and ensuring their conservation also received a favorable vote in the commission.

Also, the new Forestry Code could introduce a system of penalty points, a measure supported by former environment minister, UDMR senator Tánczos Barna.

“For repeated contraventions, a system of points from one, two, three and five could be applied, proposed Mircea (no. Mircea Fechet – the Minister of the Environment), ten penalty points collected means the suspension of access to the system”, explained Tánczos Barna.

Illegal logging, monitored by satellite

In fact, the Minister of the Environment recently said that soon, the illegal exploitation of wood will be monitored by satellite. Video monitoring points will be installed in Romanian forests and on public roads.

Mircea Fechet, informed that the wood mass traceability system (SUMAL) works according to the initially established parameters. However, there is room for improvement.

It is desired to use LIDAR technology for the digitization of wood mass transport. A key aspect is the use of artificial intelligence in the processing of transport notices.

There are people who, being suspected of wood theft, take pictures of the notices with another device and probably upload them to the multiple wood transport system. Using artificial intelligence, infringement notices and penalties can be issued directly on the ground. In cases of computer fraud, criminal cases could also be opened.